North Macedonia has fined Central Asia Metals Limited (CAML) €65 000 for the environmental impact associated with the recent leakage at the Sasa tailings storage facility (TSF4).
The fine would be settled within the week, the Aim-listed company said on Monday.
The total volume of leaked material from TSF4 was 8 000 m3, of which 3 000 m3 was the coarse fraction of the dam wall and the remainder comprised water and the fines fraction.
The company reported that it had stopped the processing of ore at Sasa, after the temporary permit granted to Sasa to dispose of tailings for a period of ten days into the prior storage facility, TSF3, had expired. Mining is continuing.
Physical repairs to the tailings dam had been completed with engineering improvements to ensure the long-term safe storage of tailings. The improvements, together with amendments to the operating procedures, would be completed in about one week.
CAML said that its CEO, Nigel Robinson, was in North Macedonia with the group’s COO and sustainability director to liaise with the technical consultants at site and meet with local community representatives and government Ministers, including the Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev.